


You Are My Universe

by liketolaugh



Series: In Another Life [3]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Again, Family, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Reincarnation, Side Story, adding characters as they appear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-25
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-04-28 03:02:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5075248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liketolaugh/pseuds/liketolaugh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Side story to Cosmic Composite, primarily family fluff and missing scenes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kanda and Bucky - Teething

Kanda: 1 year 4 months

 

* * *

Kanda’s mouth hurt, and it wasannoying.

 

He scowled (he didn’t pout) and pushed away the bowl of applesauce. Nope. No, he’d rather not eat than eat with his mouth feeling like this. It burned and his nonexistent teeth ached and he was so done with teething.

“Yuu?”

He looked up to see Bucky frowning down at him, looking faintly confused and a little concerned.

“Why are you not eating?”

Kanda huffed and looked at the ground, kicking the air bad-temperedly. The stupid bear pushed the bowl back toward him, and he shoved it away again. Bucky’s frown deepened.

“Yuu, you need to eat. You need food to sustain yourself and grow.”

“No,” Kanda said petulantly. What he needed was for his healing factor to fix this, but it didn’t work on ongoing damage. Anyway, he’d done just fine when he refused food from the stupid scientists. Why couldn’t Bucky just let him deal with it? “No foo.”

Bucky looked very confused now, and he put down his bowl of gross oatmeal mush to pick up the spoon in Kanda’s stead. “Airplane,” he offered, and tried to feed Kanda.

Normally, Kanda gave up at this point and took the food, because watching the bear do that was funny and usually made him feel tolerant enough to deal with it. This time, though, he scowled and swatted it away. The applesauce splattered, and Bucky’s frown deepened. “No foo! No aiwplay!”

Kanda knew that he was being a brat, but he didn’t care; he felt too bad, bad enough that he didn’t care about whatever-the-hell consequences the stupid bear came up with, not that he could recall receiving any significant discipline from the man.

Bucky considered him for a moment, frowning, and then put the spoon down and picked Kanda up, placing him on the table to study him, as if he were a particularly difficult puzzle. Kanda felt his gum burn at him and winced, scowling at the ground.

“What is wrong?” Bucky asked at last, not breaking his intent gaze.

Kanda huffed. “Mouf hurt,” he muttered. Stupid tears made his eyes burn, and he bit them down. “Don’ wanna.”

“Your mouth... hurts?” Bucky repeated, brow furrowed. Without a second thought, he reached up to nudge Kanda’s mouth open with his human hand.

Without thinking, Kanda opened his mouth obediently, eyes on Bucky again as the older man peered into it contemplatively. Bucky would figure out a way to fix it.

Wait, what? I can fix my own damn problems!

Damn, but Kanda hated being a kid.

For a few minutes, both of them were still. Finally, Bucky released Kanda’s mouth and straightened up again.

“Your gums appear irritated,” Bucky observed. “I suppose your teething is getting worse.”

Kanda let out a high-pitched whining sound that made him want to cringe, but he couldn’t think of anything to say. Bucky, however, nodded seriously, as if he’d said something coherent, and then picked him up in his human arm.

“There is a toddler supply store in this city,” the weird bear told him. “It would be conducive to the mission to go. I should have done it sooner.”

Kanda grunted and let his head rest on Bucky’s shoulder - pouting, not that he’d ever admit it. Kanda Yuu did not back down to pain, but then, Kanda Yuu had never been a toddler.

 

* * *

 

The baby store was a few blocks away, but the Asset covered the distance quickly, slightly concerned for the boy in his arms. Yuu had turned his head into Bucky’s jacket to hide his face, and the Winter Soldier could hear the little hiccups in his breath that usually meant that he was upset.

The Asset had been considering visiting a specialty store for some time now, but there hadn’t been an urgent need, and money was always low.

For some reason, despite the lack of real risk, Bucky was counting this as urgent need.

It wasn’t just the money, though - his head… hadn’t been in anything like a good condition, and trips into the public were best kept minimal. Today was a good day, however, and this was a good errand to go out on. Things which contributed to the Mission, taking care of Yuu, were always easiest. Made it easiest to keep HYDRA out of his head. And speaking of the Mission...

The Soldier thought for a moment, and then offered Yuu his gloved metal finger; Yuu usually found something to gnaw on when the pain in his gums got especially bad.

Sure enough, Yuu took it and gummed at the cold prosthetic viciously, but he didn’t seem any less unhappy, so Bucky determined that it was a stopgap measure at best.

Frustratingly, the Soldier couldn’t seem to recall what he’d done about Yuu’s teething pain in the past; those had been a few of many memories taken by HYDRA. It came and went, as did his own attentiveness, but he couldn’t recall it being bad enough in the past to keep Yuu from eating, which was problematic.

He opened the door into the store, letting the warm air wash over him, and looked around apprehensively. And then he frowned slightly.

There were fluffy things and pastel colors everywhere, and a thousand little signs. And the Asset had never felt so ridiculously out of his depth.

Even with four months of memory behind him, he still had no idea what he was doing.

But he wasn’t going to get anything done standing in the doorway, so he cautiously moved further into the store, looking around for anything that might indicate… ah.

In the area dedicated to teething supplies, the Soldier was only slightly closer to finding what he needed, except… There were quite a lot of choices. He reclaimed his hand and picked up one box to study it, frowning.

It needed to be frozen, he noted. They didn’t have consistent access to a freezer. He put it back. He also considered banging his head off of the metal, but that was unproductive. He wasn’t supposed to do things that did not contribute to the mission.

“Brauchen Sie Hilfe?”

The Soldier was not very good at speaking German. He did not need to very often, so his written German was much better. He looked up to see a woman with light brown hair and a slightly amused smile, with a blinking infant in her arms. “Excuse me?”

“Oh, do you speak English?” she asked, expression changing to one of curiosity. He nodded.

She smiled. “I can speak English. Do you need help?”

He glanced back at the isle, and then down to Yuu, who was wincing again with his face hidden in his jacket, and nodded. The Asset did not know how to take care of children. It made the Mission very difficult.

“What do you need?” she asked, moving to see what he was looking at. The infant in her arms cooed. “I’m Carina, by the way, and this is my daughter Ava. I also have a four-year-old at home.”

“I am…” The Soldier hesitated, and then continued, “Bucky. This is Yuu.”

Yuu peeked up and frowned at Carina, and then resettled so he could keep his gaze on her.

“Yuu is having trouble eating, because of the pain from teething,” the Soldier continued, a small frown twisting his lips. “I am looking for something to ease it.”

“Of course,” Carina agreed. She bent over a little to look at Yuu. Yuu tried to scowl at her, but he winced, and Bucky did as well when he saw tears well up in Yuu’s eyes and felt his breath hitch again. “Poor baby,” Carina said sympathetically. “I have something.”

The Asset watched as Carina reached into her purse and rummaged around for a moment. Ava squirmed and Aklina calmed her absently, and then pulled out a plastic container, which held a small, folded washcloth and a quantity of water, with some ice floating in it. This, she offered to the Asset.

The Asset took it and looked down at it, puzzled.

“Your son can chew on it,” she explained, smiling kindly. “It will help.”

Bucky considered it for a moment, and then he nodded and popped the lid off with his free hand, removed the washcloth, and offered it to Yuu. Yuu gave him a small frown, but then he took it and stuck one corner in his mouth, chewing on it obediently.

Bucky watched him carefully, staying silent, and within a few moments, he felt Yuu relax slightly, letting out a contented sound. He looked back up to Carina and nodded. “Thank you.”

There was water seeping across Yuu’s chest; Bucky would have to change his shirt later. Also, said shirt was looking a little small. He would have to buy more soon.

“Of course,” she assured him. “But we should find you something to take home. What are you looking for?”

He looked at the shelves. He had no idea. She laughed, taking the information from his expression.

“Do not worry, I can help you. Do you want something to freeze?”

He shook his head. “We don’t stay in one place for long,” he explained. “I need something I can travel with.”

Her eyebrows rose slightly, surprised. “And you take your son with you? Where is the mother, if I may ask?”

That was… a difficult question. Bucky shrugged and looked at the shelves again. “She is… not around,” he explained evasively.

Carina clucked her tongue sympathetically. “And you take care of Yuu all by yourself?”

Bucky nodded.

“Well, you do very good,” she assured him, finding what she was looking for and reaching for it. “And your son is adorable. Is it difficult?”

It was nothing if not that. Bucky nodded again. Yuu laid his head on Bucky’s shoulder, still chewing on the washcloth.

“I would like to tell you it gets easier,” Carina said ruefully. She gave him the box she’d picked up. “Here. It does not need to be frozen, but it will work well.”

Bucky looked down at the teething ring. “Thank you,” he told her.

“It was no trouble,” she promised. “Do you need other things? Can you read German well enough to find a book here?”

Bucky considered. He didn’t like feeling so lost, especially doing something so important. He nodded again. In his arms, Yuu started to fall asleep, relaxing more against him, corner of the little purple washcloth still in his mouth.

“Then we can go find some.”

 

* * *

 

A few hours later, Bucky put Yuu down for a nap, and then settled down to read his new harvest of books, gaze strict and as intent as if he were reading a mission briefing.

He wanted to do this well, and not… not just because it was his only remaining mission.

Bucky was sorry for dragging Yuu along with him, but he could not leave him. He would not, and Yuu would not pay the price for that weakness.

 

 


	2. Tony and Pepper - Lavi's Revelation

**Lavi: 2 years**

* * *

To the window. The door. The nightstand. The window. The door.

Tony paced furiously around the room, one hand rubbing subconsciously at his chest and the other gesticulating wildly in the air. His shadow, cast in moonlight, was a source of constant motion, while Pepper's was attached firmly to the bed's. At the same time, Tony's voice stood alone in the quiet.

"It didn't even occur to me, Pep! I wouldn't have even thought it was  _possible!_  How? I just-" Tony blew out a frustrated breath, and by the time he spoke again, his mind had already moved on. Pepper watched from her place atop the bedspread, curled in a loose ball, sitting up. "And  _what the hell_  happened to him? Twenty-three, Pep,  _twenty-fucking-three!_  You could tack those years onto the ones he has now and he's  _still_  just a kid, why is he  _dead?_  How _bad_  was it? Should we be worried about it, should he be, I don't know, seeing a psychologist or something?"

Tony stopped for a brief moment to take a much-needed breath. Pepper never took her eyes off him; her eyes shimmered starlit silver, and she bit her lip.

It was… really, really young. Things happened, of course. Pepper considered. Lavi couldn't see a counselor unless it was… Lavi couldn't see a counselor. But he could talk to them. They would listen. He knew that, right?

That was how Pepper coped, for the most part, by thinking to herself. Tony, on the other hand, thought out loud, letting his panic and worry flow from his mouth.

"Is Lavi even his name?" Tony continued after a moment, voice rising. "What if he doesn't like that name? Maybe he hates it! It's a weird name! What if he wants to be called something else?" He paused, but Pepper wasn't fool enough to think he was done. "Wait, did he say  _eighteen seventy-six?_  He's probably even more lost than Cap was! I'm not even sure they had _lightbulbs_  then!"

That was, admittedly, a legitimate worry. Pepper hadn't considered the idea when she'd first come up with the name. How silly of her. The second was also a prudent concern; Steve had been completely lost for his first few months, and remained so with many things even now, years after he woke up.

Tony whirled on Pepper, eyes wide and one step away from total panic.

"Pepper, what if he hates it here? Is he unhappy here? Does he miss his parents? Did he have any siblings, is he lonely? What about friends? And we hardly ever take him out, that can't be good for him-"

And, that was enough venting for Tony. "Tony."

Tony shut his mouth abruptly, going still. Pepper sighed and unballed, reaching up to wipe her eyes, and said, with a voice that came out surprisingly strong and steady,

"JARVIS, is there anything you'd be willing to tell us? Anything at all?"

JARVIS hesitated noticeably, something he hardly ever did. Tony looked up expectantly into one of the room's cameras, breathing rapid and visibly irregular, eyes wide.

"Master Lavi has not had any significant trouble settling in," JARVIS said carefully, lingering over the words in an achingly human way. "He has demonstrated no signs of unhappiness, and he appears comfortable answering to the name Lavi." There was another, much shorter moment of hesitation, and then JARVIS finished, "Master Lavi continues to refer to you as his parents when addressing me, or-" His voice turned cautiously humorous. "-his unnamed stuffed panda."

Tony's breath whooshed out, and despite himself, he smiled wearily and crossed the room yet again, this time to collapse beside Pepper, who leaned into him tiredly. He threw his arm around her shoulders and cast JARVIS a grin.

"Alright, I'm done panicking," he announced.

"Glad to hear it, sir," JARVIS said dryly.

"So mean," Tony whined.

Pepper laughed quietly and Tony pouted at her. Her smile soon faded, though, and Tony's face sobered to match.

"What does that leave?" Pepper asked him, shuffling into the businesslike demeanor that helped her through most of her problems. And Tony's.

"Is his name Lavi?" Tony asked instantly, glancing up at a camera again.

There was a short pause, which stretched nearly into awkwardness before JARVIS stated, "Master Lavi assures me that his name carried over from his previous life."

So Lavi was awake, too, huh?

"Thanks, J. You're a gem." Tony managed a playful smile and a thumbs up. His hand shook, but his eyes were relieved.

"Always happy to ensure that your offspring are willing to answer to their given names." Dry as  _dust._

Tony stifled a chuckle. That was right, JARVIS had done this for Dummy, You, and Butterfingers, too, huh?

"We can let him talk about his past life in his own time," Pepper continued, tilting her head to look at Tony, who was focused on her, eyes shining with worry. "I don't want to pressure him."

Tony shook his head immediately. "Right, no, no pressure. Pressure is bad." He winced. "More waiting, huh?"

Pepper smiled at him faintly. "If it starts to look like he's not telling us something very important - something that'll affect him in a bad way - then we can push a little."

Tony nodded slowly. "And a counselor?"

Pepper shrugged helplessly. "We can compile a list, but good luck finding a psychologist that specializes in reincarnated toddlers."

Tony chuckled, though it wasn't really that funny. "And nothing changes?"

"Nothing changes," Pepper agreed. "Not unless he says something."

For a few moments, both of them were silent. Then Pepper sat up again and leaned forward to kiss Tony on the cheek, and moved forward a little to mumble in his ear, "I should have expected something like this when I married you."

Tony blinked, but before he could say anything, Pepper was lying down and closing her eyes. He stared at her for a few moments, and then grinned like a loon.

God, he loved Pepper.

He stood up, half-formed intentions of going to research reincarnation swirling in his mind.

"Tony. Bed."

...Right.

Reluctantly, he laid down beside Pepper as well, wrapped his arms around her, and closed his eyes as well.

Not quite quickly enough, he dropped off to sleep as well, leaving JARVIS silent overhead, watching over the married couple.

"Jawvis?"

He transferred his attention to Master Lavi's room to see the little boy blinking up at him, clearly anxious but undeniably sleepy.

"Yes, Master Lavi?"

"Awe they…" Lavi trailed off, biting his lip uncertainly. JARVIS softened.

"They took it quite well, Master Lavi. They're both asleep now. I am certain Sir and Mrs. Potts will speak to you in the morning."

Lavi stared up for a moment longer, and then smiled. "Tanks, Jawvis."

"It is nothing at all." For the child of the man who made him, JARVIS would do this and much more. For Lavi, JARVIS would do anything he could and then some.

"'Night, Jawvis."

"Goodnight, Master Lavi."

Lavi smiled softly at the ceiling, and then he curled up on his bed and went to sleep. JARVIS was left alone, watching over all three sleeping Starks.

If he could have, he would have smiled.


	3. Lavi and Pepper - Storytime

Pepper was woken by a tiny body huddling in close to hers, pressing against her and shivering, the covers shifting as he wriggled under them. She sighed softly and reached to pull Lavi a little closer to her.

"Nightmare, sweetie?" she murmured, still half-asleep.

"Y-yeah," he whispered back, hiccuping audibly.

She 'hm'ed and let him stay, though she didn't quite wake up, either; she wasn't sure how late it was, but most likely, it was very, very late.

Tony wasn't around at the moment; he was down in his workshop, working on something for the Avengers, she thought. Probably half-zombie by this point.

Tony was marginally better at dealing with Lavi's nightmares than she was, which wasn't to say she was bad at it. But she worried; both her boys made her worry. She worried about Tony because he was chronically awful at looking after himself, and Lavi… Lavi still didn't like to talk about whatever it was that he remembered.

She hoped he felt safe enough with them to tell them someday.

Pepper had nearly fallen back to sleep when it occurred to her that Lavi hadn't stopped shivering, and he was still tense, breathing too quickly. He was still awake.

She forced her heavy eyelids to open and looked at him, tiny and hunched into her like a cub into a mother lion, fists clenched and face all scrunched up. He looked so upset, and… God, her hand, fingers splayed out, covered at least a third of his tiny back. Her wrist was thicker than his arm.

"Lavi, sweetie? Are you okay?"

Lavi hiccuped again, and she could feel tension ripple through him. "I don' wanna go back to sleep," he whispered finally, one fist reaching up to rub at his eyes.

Pepper considered her options, sighed, and pushed the covers back, sitting up. One hand lingered on Lavi's back, and the other reached up to scrub the tiredness from her face. Finally, she smiled wearily at Lavi, who had opened his eyes to blink up at her in confusion, just visible and gleaming in the darkness.

"Alright. Then we won't."

Lavi blinked again - he must be very tired, she thought with concern, if he was this slow, or else still too shaken up - and then pushed himself up. "'Kay," he said at last, voice small and vulnerable.

"We can go for a walk," Pepper continued, thinking a little slowly herself. "Maybe go up on the roof. Does that sound good?"

He thought for a moment, and then he nodded. She smiled and stood up, and he slid off the bed and trotted over beside her, tilting his head up at her.

She took his hand, and both of them started to walk toward the elevator. FRIDAY opened the doors without being asked, and then started them up toward the roof.

After the darkness of the bedroom, the lights in the elevator were harsh enough to make Pepper squint, and Lavi buried his face in her leg, probably for the same reason. A moment later, they dimmed noticeably, and Pepper smiled at a camera gratefully.

Her lilac silk pajamas still shone in the dimmer light, and the yellow smiley faces on Lavi's footie pajamas stood out against the dark blue background. Pepper stifled a yawn and smiled at him, and he peeked up at her, green eyes gleaming with the threat of tears.

"Let's not tell your father about this. I'm sure he'd throw a fit about being left out," she told him, and he giggled softly and nodded in agreement. The tears spilled over, but he was smiling, and then he hid his face in her leg again, shivers beginning to slow down.

The elevator came to a halt, and the doors opened onto the roof. Lavi peeled himself away from her leg, but clung to her hand with renewed determination.

It was a clear night, but the stars were still invisible for the light pollution. City lights took their place, and the sounds of a bustling city, honking horns and barking dogs and a constant murmur of speech, floated up to them. Pepper took Lavi to sit down on a bench Tony had placed up here, overlooking the city, and Lavi sat on her lap, curled up and head on her shoulder.

"Do you like the sounds of the city?" she had to ask, watching his green eyes sweep curiously over the streets. Lavi nodded.

"Yeah," he answered, voice drifting into the night air. "It like… sounds of people. People from now."

She smiled faintly and informed him, "I've always liked living in the big city; something about… how nothing ever stands still, I suppose. Tony likes it for the same reason." She chuckled. "He's just like New York that way. Never sleeps, always in motion…" She trailed off, and Lavi giggled quietly. He wasn't shaking anymore, even though it was a little cold up here. She probably should have grabbed a jacket for both of them. "Have I ever told you about how Tony and I met?"

He tilted his head up, away from the skyline, to look at her. "No. How?"

"Well, I used to be an accountant for Stark Industries…" She laughed at Lavi's wrinkled nose; apparently he thought it sounded boring. "And I caught a mistake in something he'd given out. So I reported it-"

"An' go' promo'ed?" Lavi asked, all his attention now on her.

"Nope. I got fired." She laughed again as his eyes widened. "So I marched up to your father's office to report the mistake myself, since clearly no one else would - and I planned to give him a piece of my mind, too."

"Wow," Lavi whispered, apparently entranced. "An' did you?"

"Many times," Pepper told him. "But not about that. As soon as I pointed the mistake out to him, he owned right up to it and promoted me on the spot, which is how I became his PA."

"Oh." Lavi pondered that for a moment. "Bu'... You weren' dating then?"

"Not for years," Pepper agreed. "Honestly, it felt more like I was babysitting most of the time." She poked Lavi in the stomach, and he shrieked and giggled obediently, squirming a little. "He was harder to take care of then than you ever were."

"Even though I escape my playpen?" Lavi asked her.

"Even though you escape your playpen," Pepper confirmed ruefully. That had been a long line of heart attacks. And then she continued, "Your father… well, he _tried_ to ask me out first, but…" She chuckled. "He stumbled over so much that I had to finish his sentence for him." Lavi giggled. She smiled fondly. "Tony fumbled through the whole thing, but it turned out well in the end."

"Course!" Lavi agreed with a bright smile. He turned his head into her arm and asked, "And wha' 'bout when you married?"

"He proposed, too," Pepper told him, smiling wistfully at the memory. "I knew it was coming for hours before he popped the question, of course - I think he was fumbling worse then than he did on the first date. And he went the full nine yards and then some - private beach, full orchestra, five-course dinner - and he asked JARVIS for the anniversary date of the first day we'd met."

"'Cause he didn' remember," Lavi summed up, a small, amused grin on his face.

"Of course not," Pepper agreed, fondly exasperated. "He wouldn't be Tony if he'd remembered on his own, but it was sweet of him to think of lining them up like that." She snorted. "Or he just wanted one less date to remember." She paused. "Well, it might have been JARVIS' idea."

Both of them laughed, and Lavi said playfully,

"'M sure Daddy deserve twelve percen' of the credit."

Pepper dissolved into laughter again, Lavi grinning mischievously up at her. After a moment, she reached and tickled Lavi mercilessly at the ribs, making him shriek and thrash, trying to get away, but she held him fast in one arm.

In the end, they were both left breathless and grinning, cheeks flushed with cold and excitement, clinging to each other for dear life.

"Oh, I love you, Lavi," Pepper managed, eyes sparkling, the wind making her red hair flutter around her.

Lavi grinned up at her, bright and happy. "Love you too, Mommy."

They went back to the bedroom just as the sun started to peek over the horizon, and for the first time in a long time, Pepper overslept. Tony found them a few hours later, curled up together on top of the covers, and grinned stupidly for a bit before asking FRIDAY to take a picture.

Somehow, that picture ended up on the living room wall, the start of a collection.


	4. Melinda and Lenalee - Activation (DS)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DELETED SCENE. This is not how it will work in the actual story, it's just a draft I wrote before some timeline changes prevented it. Lenalee never told her mother about being reincarnated and plot does not exist.

Lenalee sat quietly to one side of the busy room, trying very hard to appear invisible.

Coulson was standing still, concentrating, and it was him who Lenalee watched most closely as people bustled around both of them. He was wearing a comm unit that connected directly to Melinda's, and Melinda was currently in the field.

"HYDRA's recent movements are concerning, but not urgent," Coulson coached Melinda, eyes intent on something Lenalee couldn't see. "Don't put yourself at risk for this intel."

Lenalee couldn't hear what Melinda said in reply, of course, but she could imagine. Whatever it was, it made Coulson smile, and Lenalee gave a small smile, too.

Recently, HYDRA had been quite active for an organization theoretically decimated. It had been an increasing concern for SHIELD, and they'd recently gotten a tip on a meeting place. (Lenalee chose not to wonder how they'd acquired this tip.)

Melinda was there now, investigating. And Lenalee was keeping track of her the best she could, because she was worried about her mother. To her relief, the adults in the room seemed to have indeed forgotten her presence, which was the general idea.

Lenalee waited and listened.

* * *

"Alright," Coulson said at last, after about half an hour. "Pull out, Melinda. We're sending a Quinjet for you." He paused, listening, and said, "We'll have to brace ourselves, but it doesn't seem urgent. Come back and we'll talk."

He redirected his attention to the room, and most of them stared expectantly back. Lenalee held her breath, eyes sparkling with delight. It sounded like it had gone well.

"Mack, you pilot, we're going to go get her. Skye-" He smiled a little. "Bring Lenalee, won't you?"

"Yay!" Lenalee rushed forward and grabbed Skye's hand, beaming up at her. Skye smiled reluctantly back, looking amused. "We're gonna see Mommy, right, Skye? Right?"

"That's right," Skye chuckled, reaching down to tickle Lenalee, making her shriek and squirm with laughter. "And she'll be happy to see you, too."

"Haha, s-stop, stop!" Lenalee squealed, batting uselessly at Skye's hand, and Skye grinned at her. "Sk-skye!"

Normally Coulson didn't deliberately bring Skye into contact with Melinda, understanding the difficulties involved, but Lenalee didn't like Mack and Coulson's attention was likely to be elsewhere, and Lenalee was too young to go unsupervised.

"Got it," Skye said to Coulson with a small, false smile, once she let Lenalee go. Coulson gave her a sympathetic nod and then turned away, already back to business.

"Let's go. May's waiting."

It took twenty minutes to get the Quinjet up and running, and in that time, Skye had gotten Lenalee, now four years old, into the jet and settled, wiggling impatiently.

"Mommy's okay, right?" she asked Skye, brown eyes round. Skye gave her a small smile, sympathetic and fond.

"Course she is, Lenalee. Your mom's the best."

Lenalee beamed with pride. "Of course she is! She's Mommy!"

A moment later, she reexamined that thought and paused, frowning. Wait, it didn't work that way. Lenalee _knew_ it didn't work that way. Why…?

Luckily, Skye's attention had been redirected to Coulson and Mack, who were talking quietly at the front of the jet as it took off, hunched over and secretive, angled away from the other inhabitants.

"Sure there's nothing to be worried about?" Mack sounded dubious, though he didn't look back.

"Not… exactly," Coulson admitted reluctantly, mouth twisting slightly in a grimace. "But I think we have some time."

"…If you say so, sir." Just because he'd agreed to stay on didn't mean all was forgotten, and two years hadn't eased Mack's doubts. Lenalee sometimes wondered why he'd stayed on. She suspected guilt was at fault; Mack looked at Coulson's mechanical hand far more often than was strictly necessary.

It took half an hour to reach the pickup point, and Melinda was waiting just outside town, arms crossed and waiting. As soon as the door was open, Lenalee darted up to her and jumped, and Melinda caught her with practiced ease.

"Mommy!" Lenalee beamed, holding tight to Melinda, thrilled to see her. Melinda smiled at her, warm and amused.

"What are you doing here, baby girl? Shouldn't you be at the Helicarrier?" Though her tone didn't change, the pointedness of the comment wasn't lost on either Coulson or Lenalee.

"I wanted to see you!" Lenalee pouted, and Melinda chuckled.

"I wasn't gone two hours, Lenalee. You would've been fine."

Lenalee knew that, but she couldn't bring herself to care. To her, it may as well have been an eternity. Certainly it was far too long.

She huffed, letting herself act as childish as she felt. "But!" She buried her face in Melinda's side, relishing in the familiar warmth. "Wanted to!"

Melinda chuckled again and pried Lenalee off her so they could enter the jet, holding her hand without thinking. Her eyes alighted upon Skye and cooled slightly, but lightened again at Coulson and Mack.

"You have about as much reason to be here as Lenalee, Coulson," she pointed out, but it wasn't as stern as she'd intended, and Coulson smiled.

"I thought you'd want to talk business as soon as possible," he explained easily. Melinda's smile vanished into a serious look and she nodded, sitting down across from Coulson, Lenalee curled up beside her, quiet and content, and they took off again.

A look from Melinda, and Skye came over to engage Lenalee in conversation, enticing her to chatter about a new coloring book she'd been wanting, a fantasy one with goblins and dragons, head still leaning against Melinda's arm.

Now, while that would work with a real four-year-old, Lenalee herself was still listening, just like she knew Skye was.

"They're planning an attack on SHIELD, probably within the next month," Melinda explained, fingers carding through Lenalee's hair but attention on Coulson. Lenalee didn't react, describing to Skye the pretty dragon she'd seen on the cover. Not that Skye was really listening.

"What kind?" Coulson returned, brow furrowed, clearly already thinking quickly.

"Probably aerial – we'll have to be careful, watch the skies." Lenalee wished she could help. Aerial was her specialty.

"Got it. We have some air-to-air weapons left, we'll get those ready." Coulson was contemplative, going over his options, and Melinda snorted.

"That's the _least_ we should do."

The plane shuddered. All talking stopped.

"Mack?" Coulson called after a few moments, concerned.

"Wasn't me," Mack said, suddenly tense. "What the hell…?"

_"Hey, SHIELD agents."_

Everyone in the jet stiffened; they recognized that voice. Lenalee looked up, eyes wide.

_"Looks like you have some pretty important people on that jet."_

Another jet appeared abruptly, very, very close. It must have been cloaked, and Mack, distracted by the conversation behind him, hadn't noticed.

_"Now, normally I'd offer a chance for you to get away and get the message out. Unfortunately, I'm HYDRA now, and that's not how HYDRA works."_

The jet visibly armed itself. Mack cursed, but it was too close to get away effectively – all he could do was minimize the damage, and the maneuvers that would take weren't easy. The plane banked hard, and Lenalee squeaked softly and held on to Melinda, cheek pressed into the woman's arm, frightened.

_"And when I say I'm HYDRA? I mean I am HYDRA – within a year I'll be the head that grew after the last one was cut. Your fault, by the way, thanks. Thanks for Kara."_

The transmission cut, and Melinda cursed quietly, while Skye stared with wide, startled eyes at the speaker. For a few more moments, there was tense quiet.

The enemy jet fired, and Mack yelled. A moment later, a hole was blown in the side of the Quinjet. Suddenly there was a lot more cursing, and no time to worry about what Ward had said as falling to Earth became an immediate, dire concern.

"Mack!" Coulson called, and Mack damn near snarled at him, not looking back. "There's a bare cliff to our eight!"

"Got it!" Mack answered through gritted teeth, and he made a sharp turn, banking hard. Nothing vital had been hit, but there was still a gaping hole in the side of their plane, and the pressure was immense, pulling and tugging and hungry.

Skye had one hand on Lenalee and the other to something solid, teeth gritted and eyes squinting. Lenalee held onto both Skye and Melinda, eyes tightly shut, more frightened of the ground than she had been in years.

Then Melinda, far too close to the hole, started to slip.

"May!" Coulson called, making half a move to rise, but of course that was pointless. All that happened was that he met Melinda's wide eyes as she slipped out and was shot into the open air.

Lenalee's eyes shot open and she looked down, and a cry ripped from her throat. Without a second thought, she let go, shoved Skye's hand off of her, and followed Melinda out the hole, wind rushing around her.

* * *

There was no fear in Lenalee. No panic. Just the calm focus she remembered from when she'd done… so many things. She had two objectives.

Get to Melinda May before she hit the ground. And activate her dormant Innocence.

"No!"

The cry was an echo, Skye and Coulson and Mack, but Lenalee wasn't paying attention, squinting brown eyes focused only on the falling stick figure of Melinda, tumbling through the air to the trees far, far below.

_Please._

She knew how to do this, how to fall fast, and she angled herself just right. She had to catch up, she had to catch her mother, please. Her shoes, loose flats, tumbled off her feet and spiraled away, leaving tiny bare toes and harsh stigmata exposed to the air.

_Please, Innocence. I know you're there. I know you can hear me._

She was catching up, but it was slow. The wind whipped her hair around, slapping her face, cold and harsh and biting, nipping at her bare toes. The ground was far below, but it was approaching fast. She gritted her teeth and focused, defying God to deny her this.

_I know you don't need me anymore. But I need you._

There were a few stray clouds, wet and freezing cold, and she shot through, needing to keep Melinda in sight, needing to catch her. She was almost there.

_Please, Innocence, I need to save her. I need to save Mom. I can't let her die. Not like…_

There she was! Lenalee reached out to Melinda's wide eyes, shocked, and Melinda said something that was snatched away by the wind. Lenalee didn't hear, and she wrapped her arms around her mother the best she could, burying her face in her back, shaking slightly with cold and shock and pain.

_Not like I let my brother. My friends. Not like I let myself die._

_I won't let them die. Not this time. Never again._

She'd caught Melinda, now she just needed to break their fall. She slid up to hook her arms underneath Melinda's, and Melinda's hand wrapped around hers, craning her neck to look at her with pain and regret and fear.

_I don't care if it costs me my legs, my arms, my childhood, my life. Just let me save them._

A green glow erupted behind Lenalee's eyes, and strength surged through her arms. She flinched, face scrunching up, as she felt her stigmata burst, blood pouring out and surrounding her bare feet, hot and wet. Instantly, she felt lightheaded, both from relief and from blood loss, but her deadly focus didn't fade. She'd operated under far worse conditions, and while her body was vulnerable, her mind was still strong.

She could feel the exact moment when it finished, when her Dark Boots formed completely, hardening into place, and she smiled into Melinda's hair, tears glittering, unseen.

_Thank you._

She spun and pulled up, and cried out in pain as she felt her muscles wrench with Melinda's weight – Innocence or not, she was still only four years old, with tiny, skinny arms not yet ready for work. But she wasn't letting go. Not for anything.

She looked up, searching out the Quinjet. She found it still veering unsteadily, but it had almost landed on the cliff Coulson had indicated, and she directed herself there, feeling the pressure of Melinda's arms on hers, heavy and bruising.

It was a miracle that she reached it, unsteady and taxed as she was. They were barely over the solid rock before she let Melinda down, the woman's feet hitting the ground, and slipped down after, leaning heavily against her mother, panting softly with exertion and relief, eyes fluttering shut and cheek on her hip, hands fisted lightly in her clothes.

She'd saved her. Melinda was okay. Melinda was okay.

Lenalee tilted her head up to look at Melinda, smiling, and then faltered in confusion.

Melinda was staring at her, wide-eyed. Lenalee looked past her. Skye was staring. Coulson was staring. Mack was staring.

Staring at _her._ Shocked. Slowly, very slowly, Lenalee looked down, to the green glow rolling off her boots, her feet, to the butterflies fluttering proudly at their backs.

Oh. _Oh._

Fear flooded into her system where it had been absent before, nearing panic, and she released Melinda and stepped back, staring up at her in barely-restrained terror.

"Lenalee," Melinda breathed, and she reached for her daughter, faltering only slightly.

Lenalee didn't think, she just reacted. Her body moved without her permission, stepping back off the cliff, and she gasped out, "Sonic Wind!"

_Ow._

Lenalee whimpered softly as she was jerked back, far harder than her fragile body could handle, and she could _feel_ her insides being jolted around, sore and sickening. Her head hurt now, too, and she felt dizzy, her vision suddenly blurry as she turned end-over-end and ended up barely upright again, staring at the people she'd just fled.

_Mom hates people with powers. Oh, no, what have I done? She's going to be so mad, she's so mad, she's mad at me, I'm sorry!_

"Lenalee!" Melinda called, stepping out as far as she dared, eyes wide and more alarmed than Lenalee had ever seen them, hand outstretched like she thought she could reach Lenalee past the distance. Her voice came out shaken and frantic. "Lenalee, come down from there!"

Lenalee whimpered, arms wrapped around herself, legs steady beneath her despite her dizziness. She shook her head tearfully.

The others had hurried forward as soon as Lenalee had shot back, and now stood just back from Melinda, staring at her again with any number of different expressions, different reactions.

Coulson, for his part… Well, suddenly he understood a lot more about Lenalee's recent questions. If she'd known this would happen…

Melinda was thoroughly rattled, hand frozen in front of her, eyes focused on her daughter, crying and too far to reach, suspended in midair by… Something she'd produced herself. By a power.

Lenalee was…

And then she caught the strained expression on Lenalee's face, the telltale signals of pain and fear, and the thought was shoved aside for later.

She took a deep breath and forced her voice to come out steady and reassuring. She had to remember her priorities, and the first priority was getting Lenalee to come down safe.

"Come down," she repeated, loud enough to carry but not a shout. Her voice cracked in her panic. "Baby girl, come down from there, listen to me. You're hurt."

Lenalee shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "No!" she cried back, a note of hysteria tinging her already high voice. "I don't want to! I don't want to go in quarantine! _I won't let you trap me!"_

Melinda's heart just about stopped in her chest – _of course_ – but she kept her voice forcefully steady, not dropping her hand. "I won't let that happen."

"You _hate_ powered people!" Lenalee screamed. There was definitely hysteria in her voice now, and Melinda couldn't see her eyes; she'd ducked her head, but she was shaking, violent and unsteady, panting painfully.

 _"What if_ I _had powers, Mommy?"_

Well, this was what Melinda got for cutting corners with her daughter, and resolutely, she promised herself never to do it again. But first she had to fix her mistake. She had to get Lenalee back safe.

But Skye stepped forward first. She didn't reach out – there were a lot of people who flinched when she did that now, and she'd stopped altogether – but her gaze was intent and plaintive.

"I got out fine, Lenalee," she persuaded. "You will, too." She smiled a little, trying to be reassuring. "Don't worry, they love you at SHIELD."

"They put you in quarantine!" Lenalee tried to scream, but it was more of a cry, wet and distressed.

Lenalee was crying. At this distance, it was a little hard to tell, but she was. She couldn't see straight, her vision swimming, and her head hurt, it was hard to think. She could feel the toll her Innocence was taking on her body, making her feverish and sore and exhausted. She should deactivate. She should have deactivated as soon as she'd landed.

But she was scared.

"Skye's powerful," Mack said, trying to reason with her, worry clear in his eyes, though Lenalee was too far to make it out. "She needs to be watched, we're just being careful. But you-"

Lenalee didn't want to hear it, and she cut him off.

 _"You're wrong!"_ Her voice was hoarse and harsh and it broke somewhere in the middle, scraping her throat bloody. "You're wrong! Skye- Skye's strong, but…" She coughed. "You have SHIELD on your side." Was the blur in her vision from dizziness or tears? "And… and in a fight between an organization and a superhuman… The organization _always wins!"_

That drew more stares, because that wasn't a four-year-old speaking, not a chance in hell. Then they were distracted again as Lenalee started coughing and couldn't quite stop, harsh and painful and weakening fast.

Melinda took a deep breath. She could do this. _She could do this._

"You are _my_ daughter, Lenalee," she reminded the little girl, who was staring at her through half-lidded eyes, hugging herself and listing in midair, butterflies fluttering at her feet, still coughing weakly. "And nothing is going to change that. I'll protect you, and I'll do whatever it takes." Her eyes were serious and sincere. "I swear it."

Lenalee panted and stared at her, and for a few long moments, Melinda wasn't even sure the little girl had heard her, she looked so out of it. But then Lenalee exhaled sharply, and she started to wobble down unsteadily. Melinda held her other hand out, praying internally that Lenalee would reach her before she fell.

She did, but just barely. As soon as she was within Melinda's reach, the green light flashed again, and she dropped down, light as a feather, into Melinda's hands. Melinda drew her back instantly, close against her chest.

Lenalee's breathing was heavy and labored, a slight wheeze just audible to Melinda's ears. Her boots dissolved and wrapped themselves into two neat red rings, which dangled around her ankles, leaving her feet bare, and Melinda could see that same red color coating Lenalee's lips, trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Lenalee," Melinda said sharply, and Lenalee reluctantly looked up at her, eyes glazed. "Don't go to sleep."

Behind her, she could hear Coulson calling for pickup and a medical team, but her attention was on Lenalee, who was staring at her blankly.

"Lenalee, look at me," she commanded, shifting slightly to hold the little girl's head up, eyes fixed on hers. "Focus."

Lenalee blinked once, and then she sighed softly, and her eyes slipped shut as she relaxed suddenly. Melinda's widened slightly, and her mouth tightened.

"Lenalee! Don't go to sleep! Wake up!"

* * *

Lenalee was alone in the quarantine room. Now, without the disturbed thought process and the panic from before, it wasn't quite as distressing, but she was still laying very still, staring blankly at the ceiling while her shoulders ached fiercely, feeling miserable. One wrist was bound to her bed, though she never attempted to break the bond.

She wasn't that little girl anymore.

"So, what is it? Memory transfer? Superhuman intelligence? Reincarnation? Possession?"

She didn't look over, but she recognized Coulson's voice, loud and clear and dangerously placid. She couldn't summon the will to care anymore about keeping her secret, though.

"Reincarnation," she said softly, brown eyes still on the ceiling, short brown hair splayed across the pillow. Eerily familiar. "When I died, it was January of 1875. And before you ask, I don't know how it happened. I just woke up, right after I was born." She glanced at him now, eyes dim, and Coulson visibly winced at her expression, concern overtaking everything else for a brief moment. "You came in a few minutes later."

Coulson looked surprised that she remembered, and for a few long moments, he was thinking, mulling that over. Adapting, Lenalee supposed. Her gaze slid back to the ceiling.

"What were you planning to do?" he asked finally. Looking after SHIELD's best interests, of course.

"I wanted to make you less afraid of people with powers," she replied, misery tightening her voice out of its tonelessness. "And… eventually, I was going to join SHIELD. If I thought it'd turn out alright."

He studied her for a few more painful moments, thoughtful, and then asked, "How old were you? When you died?"

Lenalee finally reacted, head turning to look at him, faintly confused. She winced at the slight pull of her shoulder, and wondered why he cared.

"I would have turned twenty in four more months," she said at last, not breaking his gaze, a small, puzzled frown on her face. _Why does it matter?_

"Pretty young," Coulson said cautiously, examining her face for warning signs, but he found only confusion. "How did it happen?"

Her face tightened again, dismay and pain and a little bit of anger dancing across it. It didn't suit her little face. Coulson looked like he was about to take it back, but no, Lenalee wanted him to hear this.

"The people I worked for," she said, with a careful pace and measured words and a tone that was too mature and too bitter, "had me killed. Me, and… probably all of my friends. Because they were afraid of our _powers."_ Resentment coated the words like sticky sap. "I could barely walk by myself, and they still sent three people to slit my throat." The pain and the dismay and the anger dropped away, and worry clouded her eyes. She bit her lip and looked away. "I don't… I don't want SHIELD to do that. I don't want you to be that person, Uncle Phil. I don't want Mom to be that hateful face." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "And… I don't want Skye to be that girl in the snow, drowning in blood because she's _'too dangerous to have around normal humans'."_ Tied up and on her knees, trying to get up because she had to save her friends, she had to save her brother… Her eyes stung. She didn't want to remember this. She didn't want to remember this anymore.

"You're scared," Coulson said quietly, gaze unwavering, but definitely concerned as he looked at the little girl he thought of as a niece, trying not to wince at the graphic description of her own death, which brought back too-vivid memories of his own.

"Yeah," Lenalee confirmed, voice cracking, tears starting to glimmer in her eyes. "I'm scared. I don't… I don't want Mom to hate me." She looked over at Coulson, eyes wide and frightened. "Uncle Phil… how mad is she? Really?"

"She's not mad," Coulson said instantly, and he saw the doubt crease Lenalee's face. "I promise. She's upset that you never told her, and she's scared that she doesn't really know you, but she's not mad." He watched Lenalee bite her lip and look away, and added, "She was watching this over video, and as soon as I leave, she's going to come in. Do you want to see her now?"

Lenalee's eyes jerked to his, but after a moment her face crumpled again and she nodded hesitantly. "Yes," she whispered.

Coulson nodded and wished he could reassure her better, but instead he stood up and left.

Sure enough, within a minute, Melinda had entered the room, eyes on Lenalee, who was sitting up now, still-bare feet dangling off the side of the bed, giving her an anxious look and rubbing her shoulder gingerly. Melinda sat in the chair Coulson had just vacated, placing a small bag under it, and for a few moments, there was silence.

Finally, Lenalee broke it. "How long will I be in here?" she asked without looking up, voice as quiet as if she were afraid it would break the glass and cause it to scatter around them.

"Simmons is doing your bloodwork," Melinda replied, watching Lenalee where Lenalee wasn't looking at her. "As soon as we're sure there's nothing dangerous to anyone else, or anything infectious, you can come out."

"There's nothing infectious or dangerous to you," Lenalee told her, brown eyes on her ankles, where the red rings still dangled – there didn't seem to be a way to get them off without breaking her ankle. "There's Innocence in my blood now." She glanced up suddenly, tentative in a way that made Melinda's mouth tighten with regret. "Um… this, it's, um. It's Innocence." She gestured to the anklets. "And my red blood cell count is, um, higher."

Melinda's face softened slightly at Lenalee's nervousness, but she kept her resolution and said, "We'll wait for confirmation on that." A moment of hesitation, barely noticeable, but still enough to make Lenalee tilt her head up in concern and curiosity. "What was your old family like?"

Lenalee's face melted into something pensive. "I don't remember my parents," Lenalee said, after a long moment, crossing her legs at the ankle and gaze drifting to somewhere over Melinda's shoulder. "But my brother… his name was Komui, and… he loved me enough to follow me halfway across the world. I knew he'd do anything for me, and he made good on that promise, so many times." _And I couldn't save him._

Lenalee didn't look four years old. She was too sad, too pensive, too regretful for it, and for a moment, Melinda wondered how she'd never noticed.

Melinda took a deep breath and a moment to mull that over, and then asked, a little more stiff as her mind roiled and tossed and turned, "So what are those? What can you do with them? You called them Innocence." She nodded at Lenalee's feet.

Lenalee started, and a very small, shy smile broke across her face, eyes returning to Melinda's. "They're my Innocence," she explained, uncrossing her legs and letting them dangle again. "Their name is Dark Boots, and I can fly with them." She giggled, the sound light and childish. "I'm sure you noticed that."

Melinda shared a reluctant smile with her, and then Lenalee continued.

"I can fly at the speed of sound if I want – that was Sonic Wind." She smiled ruefully. "I shouldn't have done that – it wasn't necessary and I wasn't ready." She shook her head at herself, and then went on, "And I can walk on liquid like it was land – that's called Water Shackles. And the last one is Iron Shackles." She shrugged. "Those basically make me fall really hard and fast."

Melinda mulled that over for a few more long moments, and Lenalee could see her making the effort, not reacting with any sort of fear or apprehension that Lenalee could see, and she smiled softly.

"What do you see me as?" Melinda asked at last, without breaking her position as she continued absorbing what Lenalee had told her.

The question alone made Lenalee tear up again. "You've _always_ been my mother," she said, a hint of a plea to her voice, and Melinda looked over to her and smiled slightly, making Lenalee relax, tears still threatening to spill, breath hitching and uneven.

Then Melinda leaned over and reached for the bag she'd tucked under her chair, and she held up a coloring book. "Unless you were only pretending to like these?" she prompted, with a slight smile and a raised eyebrow.

It had a pretty, colorful dragon on the front, and a number of little angry goblins all around it.

Lenalee's eyes widened slightly, hope and delight leaking into her eyes, and she nodded quickly. Melinda smiled and placed it into the drawer, along with a box of crayons and Lenalee's little stuffed rabbit.

Lenalee beamed at her, and Melinda smiled back, looking on as Lenalee hurried to the little compartment and pulled the little things out.

Lenalee chose the rabbit first and hugged it to herself, a smile peeking out at Melinda from behind the rabbit's ears.

"Thank you," she whispered gratefully, and it wasn't just for the rabbit and the book.


	5. Allen, Steve, Natasha - Infancy (DS)

"One hell of a Christmas gift," Allen heard as he opened his eyes, looking up into the warm eyes of a redhaired woman, who looked exhausted but pleased.

"You said it," a blond man beside her chuckled, and reached out to nudge one of Allen's hands with his finger, smiling at him warmly. "Hey, angel."

Allen stared at him, eyes wide. _Is this… was I…?_

Oh.

"Allen," the woman said to the man, and it sounded like a reminder.

"Allen," the man amended, and then continued, "Welcome to the family."

He squeezed Allen's left arm gently, and Allen noticed that it was black and hard, like his left arm before. His eyes widened a little more, and a little bit of hope started to form in his chest.

_Can I have a family?_

* * *

They were in a hospital room, Allen registered. He could smell the chemicals, and no other room would be so sterilized.

Natasha was holding him like something precious, like she was worried he might break. And Steve was still smiling at him, thumb stroking gently over the back of his left hand.

"You're certainly something," Steve said to him, and Allen blinked up at him quizzically. "Never seen a kid like you before." He chuckled fondly. "It figures."

"You think it might have something to do with the serum?" Natasha asked, a slight furrow in her brow. She looked concerned. Allen turned his head the best he could and emitted a high-pitched sound of confusion.

"Maybe the hair and the arm," Steve admitted, smile fading. "But I don't know how the serum could result in a birthmark like that." His hand reached out to brush gently down the left side of Allen's face, and Allen winced away with a sound of protest.

Oh. So his curse had followed him. He should have known that even reincarnation wouldn't let him escape it.

Natasha shifted Allen slightly, and his whole perspective changed, and he felt small and vulnerable. "It doesn't matter," she said sternly. "We'll work it out." She raised one eyebrow. "Won't we, Captain?"

Steve chuckled ruefully. "Of course we will," he agreed, amused. "You wouldn't settle for anything less."

Allen heard a knock at the door, and a voice called, "Hey, are you gonna keep us out here in suspense forever?"

"Oh, I don't know," Natasha called back, smirking slightly. "He's just too cute, I'm not sure we can share."

"She's calling him cute, I think we've lost her," the voice said to someone else, and Steve chuckled and said,

"Come on in, don't worry about it."

The door opened, and Allen was shifted again so he could look at the door and the people now entering.

Four people entered, three men and one woman, at least one of which probably wasn't human.

Steve looked down at Allen and smiled. "Allen, this is Vision, James Rhodes – his friends call him Rhodey – Sam, and Wanda."

"Nah!" Allen greeted them, waving one hand. (That was a shame, he'd tried to wave both. Apparently his paralysis was about as escapable as his curse.)

"Whoa," Rhodey said, leaning down to look at him. "Not just the arm, then, huh?"

Allen's smile faded, and he let his hand drop. Rhodey grinned at him reassuringly.

"Hey, don't be like that. We don't mind differences 'round here, do we, Vision?"

"They do not," Vision affirmed, giving Allen a serious look. He knelt down in front of him and studied him very closely, and Allen blinked back. _Definitely not human,_ Allen decided. Given that half his head appeared to be metal and the rest was red. "The world is very new, is it not, Allen?"

"Ooh!" Allen was amused and sort of wished he could reply back. Vision looked confused at the incoherent response.

"Babies can't talk, Vision. He doesn't even know what you're saying," Sam explained, also looking amused. Shows what he knew. "Hey, Allen. Looks to me like you have about as much chance of being normal as your parents, huh?"

"He is so small," Vision mused, apparently ignoring Sam's last statement. "Is this normal for human infants, Captain?"

"Yeah, it is," Steve affirmed, chuckling softly. "Don't worry. He'll get big fast."

Wanda was hanging back, looking rather uncertain and extremely nervous. Natasha noticed and beckoned her forward.

"Come on, Maximoff. If you don't introduce yourself, how will he know who you are?"

Allen looked at her curiously, and Wanda hesitantly shuffled forward to look at him tentatively.

"Hello, Allen," she finally said softly. "My name is Wanda. I am a friend."

Allen beamed at her and waved again. "Ah!" he said happily.

* * *

"Steve, you don't have to wait for me."

Natasha's voice was warm and amused. Steve chuckled sheepishly, and Allen crooned as he was passed from Natasha's arms to Steve's.

It had been… a few days, maybe, and Allen hadn't yet seen the outside of the infirmary. He kept falling asleep, and he felt nice and warm and pleased, and every so often Sam or Vision or Wanda would visit.

"Are you sure?" Steve sounded a little anxious. Natasha laughed at him.

"I'm not going to break while you're not looking, solnyshko. Go show Allen around. I'm sure he's getting bored."

He sort of was, actually.

"Alright, Tasha." Steve still sounded a little reluctant, but he leaned over and Allen heard a soft kissing sound, and then crooned again as Steve stood up and the world rushed by. "Okay, Allen, let's go look around."

Allen looked up, and Steve was smiling at him. It was a bright, happy smile, more honest than maybe any Allen had ever seen. Allen beamed back and waved his arm, and Steve laughed.

"I won't be half an hour," Steve promised Natasha, and Natasha waved him off dismissively. A moment later, they were out the door, and Allen blinked wide eyes at the wash of new sights. While his eyes flicked around, Steve was talking to him in a soft, gentle voice.

"Let this be a lesson to you, Allen; always do as your mother says." He chuckled. Allen cooed, amused at Steve's antics. "Now, I know how overwhelming new places can be, but bear with me, okay?"

Steve kept talking all through, showing Allen room after room - a gym, a lounge, a meeting room - and Allen cooed and wriggled and wondered.

Steve was a _superhero,_ he realized with awe. More, he was nice, and gentle, and everyone liked him and he was strong and he was Allen's _father._ Allen had _parents._

Allen cooed happily, more content than should be possible in this strange situation, and Steve paused to grin down at him, then kept going.

While he watched the lights pass by above him, Allen mulled it all over again, still as incredulous as he had been the first time. His happiness dimmed slightly.

His friends. Lenalee, Kanda, Lavi, everyone- had he left them behind? Would he ever see them again?

Logically, he didn't think he would. But there was something else, something in the back of his mind - what if _they were here, too?_

He clung to that thought with everything he had, and felt, with a strange certainty, that it was true, _that he wasn't alone._ He burbled at Steve, who chuckled.

"Alright, Allen, last thing," Steve said to him, bouncing the boy gently. Allen squealed. "I hope you like it."

Intrigued, Allen turned his head slightly, and the door opened.

The walls were painted a soft butter yellow. There was a crib against one wall, and a wooden dresser close by. A tall changing table by a bright window. A shorter table with a lamp. And a short shelf, stacked with books and a few stuffed animals, a bear and a cat and a rabbit. There were pictures on the walls, Rhodey and Wanda and Steve and Natasha and Vision and Sam, and people he didn't recognize, all grinning and laughing.

"This is your nursery," Steve explained, looking pleased and proud. "You'll sleep here soon. Do you like it?" Allen squealed, wriggling again. _Was this really for him?_ Steve smiled. "That's great."

Steve stuck around for a few minutes more, just enough time for Vision to peek in and look curious.

"Captain?" Vision questioned.

Steve started and looked up, and then he smiled. "Hey, Vision. I was just showing Allen around."

"Ah!" Allen waved. Vision was sort of funny, and he liked him.

Vision smiled warmly. "Ah, I see. Your little one." For a brief moment, he hesitated. "May I… see him?"

Understanding crossed Steve's face, and he smiled warmly. "Of course. Just be careful, alright? Do you know how to hold a baby?"

Vision nodded, and when he received Allen, his arms were cold but gentle, like he was holding an egg he didn't want to break. Allen blinked up at him.

"Hello, Allen," Vision greeted him, like he was an adult again. "It has been a day and a half since last I saw you. Are you well?"

"Oohn!" Allen appreciated that, actually. He wasn't sure he liked being talked at like a baby; Sam tended to do that and it was pretty uncomfortable.

"That is good," Vision nodded, a faint smile flickering across his face. "I am well also." He glanced up, into the room. "Your mother and father worked very hard on your room. There was some arguing, I believe." Another smile, just as brief. "It was resolved, however."

"Did you want something, Vision?" Steve asked, recapturing the android's - a term Allen had heard from Rhodey - attention.

Vision was distracted from Allen and nodded, face turning serious. "Yes. I meant to ask how you and Mrs. Romanov intended to handle missions."

Realization dawned on Steve's face, and Allen tilted his head and made a soft, confused noise. "Oh, right, Tasha and I never told you. We were planning on trading off; one of us will lead the mission and the other will stay behind and take care of Allen. We'll see about finding a babysitter eventually, but I think we'd both rather be safe than sorry for now."

"I see," Vision agreed, brow creased slightly. "I would be willing to help, were it required of me."

Steve smiled. "Thanks, Vision. We'll keep that in mind." He held his hands out. "Now, can I have my son back? I don't want to leave Natasha alone for too long."

Vision nodded seriously. "Of course." He looked down, meeting Allen's eyes with a small, but kind smile. "I will see you another time, Allen Rogers."

Allen Rogers?

...Allen liked that.

* * *

Natasha liked to watch Steve play with Allen. She almost liked it more than playing with Allen herself - Steve had always been adorable, and this only magnified when he played with little Allen. Right now, he'd finished tying a bright paper fish, a shiny ball of tinfoil, and a small rattle each to a separate length of string, and he was dangling them over his son, watching him bat at it. Down time didn't come very often, but they made the most of what they had.

In the meantime, they were trading off heading the ongoing missions and watching Allen - they didn't yet have anyone they trusted to watch him.

"That's it, Allen," Steve encouraged, with a bright, warm smile on his face, holding up the rattle, string twisted around his finger. "What's making that sound? That's right, you're making that sound."

Allen beamed at him; he had Steve's smile, Natasha noted fondly, one that could light up a room. She smiled, too, content watch her boys play from a few feet away.

Allen was lying on a blanket, spread out across the floor, in a little pastel onesie. His left arm stood out in sharp contrast to the rest of him, stark against the pale colors, limp and unmoving, and his birthmark stood out just as much, dark and jagged.

But he was smiling, silver eyes crinkled in delight as his right arm reached out and batted at the rattle again, missing twice before he struck it and laughed at the sound it made.

"What is it? What's making that sound, Allen? That's right, you're making that sound! Good job, Allen!"

"You're almost more excited than he is," Natasha noted with amusement. Steve looked up and adopted a slightly more sheepish smile, though it didn't dim in the slightest.

"Yeah, maybe," he admitted, chuckling. "But I wanted this for a long time, you know. A kid, I mean."

Natasha smiled. "I know you did," she replied simply. She hadn't wanted a family quite like Steve had, but she loved little Allen, and she loved how happy they made Steve. Her smile morphed into a small smirk. "You certainly read enough childcare books." She wasn't going to mention her own forays into child-related products.

Steve scratched the back of his neck and chuckled, a little embarrassed. "Well, I didn't want to mess up." The smile dimmed a little. "God knows the team has enough of that."

Natasha's quirked a little strangely in response, and she crossed her arms. "Well, that's true. But somehow I don't think Allen is going to need to worry about that."

Steve smiled again, reassured. "No. No, I guess not." He looked back at Allen, who was looking at him with curious silver eyes, and switched from the rattle to the crumpled tinfoil. Experimentally, Allen reached up and batted at that too. After the first few tries, Steve unsubtly lowered it so it was easier to get at, and Allen hit it with a delighted squee. Steve smiled. "Look at it sparkle, Allen! Isn't it shiny? Watch it spin!"

"Should I…?"

Natasha looked up to find Wanda hovering in the hallway, looking uncomfortable. She smiled and waved her over, and after a few minutes, Wanda came and sat beside her, stiff and tense. Natasha politely ignored this.

"Evening, Wanda," she said, watching as Steve smiled at Wanda in greeting and then returned his attention to Allen. "Did you come to watch my husband crouch down and play with the baby, or did you want something?"

"I, um." Wanda seemed transfixed by the image of Captain America making funny faces at a tiny baby. "I… wondered… Why you wanted a child."

Natasha raised an eyebrow at her, and then let a smirk curl her lips. "I don't really seem the type, do I?"

"No," Wanda agreed, still looking uncomfortable, but starting to relax.

Natasha considered for a long moment. She didn't much like baring any part of herself, even less when it involved her family, but Wanda was quiet and withdrawn, still having trouble connecting with the team, forming relationships.

Well, giving her _something_ didn't mean Natasha had to give her everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the last scene seems cut off, it's because it is. *wince* I stopped writing there, because that's when I was informed that Natasha was infertile and that none of this was usable. *sigh*


End file.
